Choosing the wood
The style, grade and treatment are chosen with you with fire and preservative treatment where needed.
Cedar Shake Roofing
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Randolph, NJ
A Randolph roofer who installs wood roofs can lay new cedar shakes or shingles over solid or spaced sheathing, with open metal valleys and vented ridge caps, and walk you through the choices before any wood is ordered. Call (973) 858-1826 to reach a local roofer.
Most early cedar failures trace back to installation, not to the shakes. The wood has to breathe, swell and shrink, so spacing, sheathing and ventilation are designed in from the start. Done right, a cedar roof can serve a home for 30 years or more.
Choosing the material comes first, and the choices are wider than most owners expect. Shakes are split, with a rough, textured face and thick butts, while cedar shingles are sawn smooth on both sides for a tighter, tailored look. Ask about grain and heartwood, since edge-grain heartwood cups and splits less.
Several outside factors decide how the system is built. Most codes require a minimum pitch for wood roofs, about 4 in 12 for shakes and 3 in 12 for shingles. Wildfire codes, local permits and neighborhood rules can all affect which cedar product is allowed.
If the problem goes deeper than it first looked, a Randolph roofer may also recommend cedar shake roof replacement or cedar shake roof repair.
Need cedar shake roof installation in Randolph? Call (973) 858-1826 to talk to a local roofer.
Call nowThe process
What happens during a cedar roof installation
Here is how a roofer typically builds a new cedar roof.
Deck preparation
The roofer installs either spaced 1x boards or solid sheathing covered with a ventilated underlayment mat. Where ice can build up, the eaves get a waterproof membrane over solid decking.
Starter course
A strip of felt goes along the eave, then a doubled or tripled starter course of shakes or shingles overhangs the fascia by about an inch and a half. Edge metal along the eave and rakes protects the wood trim.
Lay the field
Each course of shakes gets a strip of 18 inch felt interlay laid above the butts, so the felt is hidden but blocks rain blown through the gaps. Shakes are spaced about three eighths to five eighths of an inch apart, side joints are offset at least an inch and a half from the course below and the exposure stays even, often 10 inches for 24 inch shakes.
Nail each shake
Nails are stainless or heavily galvanized, two per shake, driven flush but not crushing the wood. Stainless is common near salt air and with treated shakes.
Valley work
Cedar roofs use open valleys lined with wide metal, often with a center crimp to keep water from running across to the other side. Step flashing at walls and flashing at skylights and vents go in as the courses rise.
Ridge caps
Pre-formed or site-cut caps run along the hips and ridge, lapping in alternating directions. Balanced ventilation under a wood roof keeps both the attic and the shakes drier.
What is included
Parts of a new cedar roof
Underlayment
An interlay of felt sits under each course as a second line of defense.
Deck layer
The deck is built to let air reach the back of the shakes with solid decking at the eaves where needed.
Ridge caps
Hip and ridge caps go on last to keep moisture out of the attic.
Valley flashing
Valleys, walls and penetrations get proper metal flashing rather than relying on sealant.
Related service
Cedar Shingle Roof Installation Randolph, NJ
Cedar shingle roof installation follows the same principles as shakes, with a few important differences. Shingles come in 16, 18 and 24 inch lengths and are laid with shorter exposures, often around 5 to 7 and a half inches depending on length and slope. The keyways between shingles are kept narrow but never closed.
Unlike shakes, shingles do not get felt interlay between courses, because their tight, thin layering already gives three layers of wood coverage. They can go over spaced sheathing or over solid sheathing with a breathable mat, and they work on slightly lower pitches than shakes. For a Randolph home, the right choice between shakes and shingles comes down to the look you want and the pitch you have.
Local help
Cedar Shake Roof Installation Near Me
In Randolph, cedar installations are often chosen for craftsman, cottage and lodge style homes. For homes in Randolph and nearby places including Dover, Wharton, Succasunna and Rockaway, storms, sun and shade all affect which grade and treatment make sense, so a site visit comes before any material order.
For cedar shake roof installation in Randolph, NJ or nearby towns like Dover, Wharton, Succasunna and Rockaway, call (973) 858-1826 to reach a roofer who covers your street.
How the weather here affects roofs around Randolph
Winters here are long and cold, with snow on the roof for weeks at a time and plenty of nights below freezing. Heat escaping from the attic melts snow on the upper roof, and the water refreezes at the colder eaves, which is how ice dams form and back water up under the shingles. Strong coastal storms push rain into every weak spot at the flashing and valleys. Most homeowners in Randolph, NJ have the roof checked in the fall and again after the snow melts.
Why call
Why not wait
Less damage
Small roof problems caught early usually stay small repairs.
Roofers who know Randolph
Roofers in Randolph know the roof types and weather wear common in local homes.
Know what happens next
Ask your questions before you agree to anything.
Common questions about cedar shake roof installation
What is the difference between cedar shakes and cedar shingles?
The difference comes down to how they are cut. Shakes have at least one rough, split face and thicker butts, giving a rustic, textured roof, while shingles are sawn smooth on both faces for a neater look. Shakes get felt between courses, shingles rely on overlap.
What goes under a cedar shake roof?
Underneath cedar, the deck must allow airflow. Felt interlay between courses and an eave membrane in cold areas complete the system. Everything under the shakes is chosen so the wood can breathe.
What roof pitch do cedar shakes need?
A minimum of 4 in 12 is the common rule for shakes. Shingles can work on slightly lower slopes with reduced exposure. Lower slopes need a different roofing system.
Should new cedar shakes be treated?
That choice depends on where the house is and what grade you buy. In damp, shaded areas, preservative-treated shakes resist moss and decay better, and in fire-prone areas, fire-retardant treatment may be required. Ask about both kinds of treatment for your Randolph roof.
Can cedar shakes be fire rated?
Untreated cedar is combustible, which is why fire-retardant treated shakes exist. Treated shakes, often combined with a special underlayment, can meet higher fire ratings required in some wildfire areas. Your roofer should confirm what your local code requires before you choose.
More questions? Call (973) 858-1826
Other services that may help
Cedar Shake Roof Replacement
Tearing off worn cedar shakes, repairing the deck and putting on a new cedar or look-alike roof, with the deck brought up to what the new roof needs.
Learn moreCedar Shake Roof Repair
Repairs for split shakes, rot at the butts, moss buildup and leaking valleys on wood roofs, matched to what a close look at the roof actually finds.
Learn moreRoof Installation
Installing a new roof layer by layer, from drip edge and underlayment to flashing, vents and the finished roofing, whether it is asphalt shingles, metal or another material.
Learn moreRoof Ventilation
Fixing hot, damp or poorly vented attics with the right mix of intake and exhaust, so shingles and decking last as long as they should.
Learn more
Looking for something else?
See all roofing servicesGet cedar shake roof installation help in Randolph
Call (973) 858-1826 for a local roofer in Randolph and nearby towns.